Kobe Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse. This restaurant in the heart of Edmond OK serves up delicious sushi, hibachi and Kobe entrees in a comfortable atmosphere
About 2 weeks ago I was in Oklahoma City, running errands. I go to OKC about every 6 weeks, to hit the stores that we don’t have in Stillwater. I had gotten an early start to the day, and was quite efficient until I got to Kohl’s…not only were they having a sale, but they also had a bunch of stuff on clearance. I didn’t go there looking for clothes, but I got sucked into the workout gear and shoes. After Kohl’s I hit one more store, and then I was hungry. I was kind of craving sushi, and got online to find something relatively close. I came across Kobe Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse, and started heading in that direction. But then I decided I didn’t want to drive over there, so I went across the street to Which Wich. I had never eaten there before, but had heard good things from a couple of friends. The restaurant was full, which I found surprising because it was after 1pm. I soon found out why… a couple came up to me and said they had been waiting over 30 minutes for their food, and the husband pointed out that nearly everyone sitting at a table was waiting for their food as well. No chance I was waiting that long for a sandwich, so I walked out. The husband did too, because I’m pretty sure the wife was about to go postal.
Back I went to Kobe Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse. The restaurant is in a strip mall, so you kind of have to know where you’re going. I was the only guest in the restaurant when I arrived, but at that hour it wasn’t really a surprise. The restaurant is larger than it looks from the outside. There’s a host stand as you enter; a huge bar that encompasses nearly the entire left wall; the center section has 2 rows of booths, and then the right section has 3 large hibachi tables. There are 2 large flat-screen TV’s behind the bar, and another one against the back wall of the main dining room. The most interesting thing was the music. It started out as Top 40, moved to Japanese rap, and then finished with easy listening. I had absolutely never heard that kind of combination in a 45-minute period, and certainly hadn’t ever heard Japanese rap.
About 2 minutes after seating me, my server came up to ask if I was ready to order. I’m convinced that this is almost a standard thing for Asian restaurants, because that’s really the only place I ever encounter that. She was very efficient, but also friendly and helpful. She had broken English, but I was still able to understand her pretty well.
They have a large drink menu, but I really didn’t need a cocktail. They have signature drinks, bowls, sake, wine, cocktails and beer. The bowls are clearly dangerous: the Scorpion starts out “scandalously”, and the Hawaiin starts out “devious”. Definitely didn’t need those, so I stuck to water.
The Kobe Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse menu is quite large as well, with appetizers, salads, Hibachi entrees, teriyaki entrees, fried rice, soup, and sushi. I started with an order of Shumai, a shrimp dumpling. The menu only said steamed, but you could also get them fried so that’s what I did
These little beauties were freshly fried, screaming hot, and delicious. I thought it was going to be minced shrimp, but they were chopped and maintained the integrity and texture of the shrimp. They were just lightly fried, so not heavy at all. The dipping sauce was also light, and very flavorful.
I don’t do raw sushi. I’m a huge texture eater, so the thought of eating big chunks of raw fish does absolutely nothing for me. The first time I ever tried sushi was in Maui, and it was raw eel. It took about 18 months before I would even touch sushi again, and it all had to be cooked. I’m now a huge sushi fan, and eat it whenever I get the opportunity. I’ve recently become more adventurous, eating sushi with some raw in it. But it still has to be the rolls, not sashimi.
After a lot of back and forth, I went with the Godzilla roll, partly because my server said it was one of the most popular. This was huge! I had asked the server if one roll would be enough, and she said yes. Now I know why.
This roll was awesome. It was served warm, and the crunch from the frying lent a wonderful contrast in texture to the inside. I’ve had rolls where the cream cheese overpowers the roll, and that’s all you taste. But this one had a really good ratio. I had prepared myself for a spicy roll because of the jalapenos. But actually, it was just the opposite. The cream cheese and avocado toned down the spice significantly. I added a little more wasabi to my soy sauce; that, and also dipping the pieces into the drizzle on the plate, added enough kick.
Since I only had one roll I decided to get some ice cream to finish the meal. There are several options, and I went with the green tea
I was pleasantly surprised at the serving size, considering the price. The ice cream was delicious, very light and refreshing, and I really liked the chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I think the whipped cream might have been homemade.
Will I go back to Kobe Sushi and Hibachi Steakhouse? No question. The food was delicious, the service was good, and I’d like to go back and try some of the other types of sushi. I need to go with one of my friends who likes sushi as well, so we can get several different ones and try them all out.